Back to Vaksdal Preface

  Otterstad is the farm in Modalen that is closest to the fjord. It sits on the north side of the stream that separates it from the tiny village of Mo. It is located on a narrow flat surface of land between the stream and the mountains. The mountains rise abruptly from here. A waterfall comes off the mountain and almost into the back yard of the house at Bruk 4. Red colored text indicates my direct ancestors. Text enclosed in brackets [ ] was added by me.

Modalen

  In the above picture the Otterstad "bruks" are just to the left of the bridge in the foreground. The tiny cluster of buildings on the right represents the village of Mo. In the background you can trace the valley upstream where the rest of the Modalen farms are located. The photo is from the Modalen Bygdebok.

Otterstad Bruk 4

  1. Erich Olsen Otterstad, m. Anna

Born:

     a. Torkjell.

     b. Anna. probably married Askjell Olavson Mo bnr. 1. [bruk number 1]

     c. Baard. probably next farmer here.
 
  1667: Parish records show Baard, as owner 1 sp. sm. 1/2 mæle [sp. or spann is equal to about 20 pounds. sm. stands for smør or butter. mæle = 15-17 liters] grain. [These are old Norwegian units of measurment and represent farm production. When farms were divided into smaller units these production measurments were often the basis rather than actual acreage.] Farm was divided into 4 equal parts. Baard is listed in the accounts until 1692

  2.a Baard Eirikson Otterstad, b. 1625, d. 1690, m. Brita Larsdatter, b. 1635, d. 1729.  

Born:

     a. Anna b. 1666, d. 1757, m. 1707 Simon Olavson Flatekvål, see Flatekval bnr. 6.

     b. Nils b. 1667, d. 1700, truleg ug.

     c. Eirik b. 1669, farmer here after his mother

     d. Eilev b. 1672, d. 1736.

     e. Anders b. 1673, d. 1758.

     f. Maria b. 1678, d. 1694.

     g. Siri b. 1679, d. 1724, m. 1714 Askjell Andersson Nipen, see Nipen.

     h. Ivar b. 1728, d. fire 1737.
  1694: "Kiøbebrev" from Obrist Wisburg Eilert and his wife Anna to Juel Brith Lawritzdatter at 1 pd. [1 pound English money] smør. Brith is the widow of Baard, and she is listed in the accounts in 1701, and probably lived on the farm until her son Erik married in 1707.

2.b Brita Larsdotter, widow of Baard Eirikson. I 1701 she is named heiress.

   1711: Skoskatten shows Erich Baardsen, paying tax for himself and his wife and two servants. The two servants are the brother Anders and his sister Siri.
  
   3. Eirik Baardson Otterstad, b 1669, d. 1736, g. 1707 m. Brita Eilevsdatter Otterstad, br. 1 b. 1678, d. 1752.
Born:

     a. Baard b. 1708, d. 1757, m. 1731 Brita Sjursdatter Romarheim b. 1699,
        resided there.

     b. Nils b. 1710, next farmer here.

     c. Eilev b. 1713, d. 1713.

     d. Anna b. 1714, d. fire 1737 (inherited from father).

     e. Anna b. 1717, d. 1791, g. m. Olav Monsson Otterstad bnr. 5 b. 1700,
        busett Nottveit bnr. 1.

     f. Eilev b. 1719, m. 1742 Anna Larsdtr. Romarheim, busett Heggernes.

     g. Askjell b. 1722, d. 1807, g. 1755 m. Guri Johannesdatter Sætre, resided
        Sætre in Hosanger.

     h. Johannes b. 1724, d. 1795, m. Brita Johannesdatter Grøsvik b. 1730, d.
        1802, resided Romarheim.
          1754: Replacing the widow Brita Eilevsdatter. Farm, 12 mr. sm. 9 k. valuation is 12 rd. [riksdalar], is available for her five sons, Baard, Nils, Eilev, Askjell and Johannes and daughter Anna. Each was to have a share of the farm in the inheritance, but Nils must have used the farm, for he lived at Otterstad and his children are baptized at Mo.

  4. Nils Eirikson Otterstad, b. 1710, d. 1751, m. 1732  Aase Joensdatter Romarheim, b. 1702, d. 1758.
Born:

     a. Brita b. 1733, d. 1733.

     b. Jon b. 1734, d. 1734.

     c. Jon b. 1735, next farmer here.

     d. Eirik b. 1738.

     e. Olav b. 1740, d. 1740.
  Nils Erikson allowed Jon some land on the farm here. We find no legal authority letter for him, but he must have been the party his parents shared with, while his father still owned this farm in ?partnership.   

5. Jon Nilsson Otterstad, b. 1735, d. 1778, m. 1759 Anna Johannesdatter Flatekvål, bnr. 1 b. 1727, d. 1807.
Born:

     a. Baard b. 1759, d. fire 1778 (inherited from father).

     b. Aase b. 1760, married next farmer here.

     c. Anna b. 1763, m. 1788 Ole Sjurson Romarheim b. 1766, resided Vetle-Urdal.

     d. Nils b. 1773, farmer number 7.
 

  1778: Settlement from Jon Nilsson. The son, Nils Jonson, for 4 mrk. smør 1-1/3 k. malt, inherited that which father's father, Nils Erikson received in settlement in 1737 from Eirik Baardson.
  1782: Eilev Eirikson Heggernes et al who inherited agricultural land, gave a lease to Gudmund Sjurson Romarheim, who received lease of land equivalent to production 18 mrk. sm. 6 k.

 

6. Gudmund Sjurson Romarheim, b. 1759, m. 1780 Aase Jonsdatter Otterstad, b. 1760.

Born:

     a. Anna b. 1781.

     b. Maria b. 1782.

     c. Jon b. 1785.

     d. Jon b. 1788, d. 1788.

     e. Sjur b. 1793.
  Gudmund Sjurson and dependants must have moved from Otterstad after Nils Jonson became an adult and took over the farm in 1792, but we have not found what has become of them.

  1790: Nils Jonson received from his uncle Eilev Heggernes, his part of the farm, 4 mrk. sm. 1/2 k. ground, for 49 rd. 1792 he leased from the other uncle, Askjell Eirikson Sætre, the part Gudmund Sjurson Romarheim had leased.

  1805: Nils Jonson får no skøyte frå alle dei andre som enno sat med arvepartar i bruket, på deira partar, og sit no med heimel til heile bruket.

  7. Nils Jonson Otterstad, b. 1773, d. 1843, m.
        1. 1795 m. unknown,
        2. 1796 m. Brita Olavsdatter Almelid, bnr. 5, b. 1756, d. 1838.

Born:

     a. Anna b. 1796, d. 1796, 1 dy old (from 1st marriage)

     b. Maria b. 1796, married next farmer here.

     c. Brita b. 1798, d. 1815.
  [I haven't found the first marriage of Nils, but when he married in 1796, he was a widower. His wife probably died at the same time as the first child.]

  1814: Transferred from Nils Jonson to son-in-law Jakob Hansson Almelid half of this farm.

  1817: Jakob Hanson Almelid received the second half of the farm.

  8. Jakob Hansson Otterstad, b. Almelid br. 5, b. 1791, d. 1848, m. 1815 Maria Nilsdatter Otterstad, b. 1796, d. 1849.

Born:

     a. Brita b. 1818, m. 1840 Jon Olavson Otterstad br. 1.

     b. Marta b. 1820, m. 1845 Knut Larsson Farestveit bnr. 8, resided here.

     c. Nils b. 1823, next farmer here.

     d. Maria b. 1826, g. 1846 m. Askjell Johannesson Nottveit br. 3, farmer
        here nr. 10.

     e. Hans b. 1829, g. 1849 m. Maria Nilsdtr. Elvik in Stamnes, see Elvik br. 2.

     f. Johannes b. 1832, m. 1856 Ragnhild Knutsdaatter Otterstad bnr. 5, b.,
       1830, utfl. [Could mean emigration or just change in residence.] 1863.

     g. Inga b. 1835, d. 1835.

     h. Olav b. 1837, m. 1861 Marta Gulleiksdatter N. Helland b. 1836 here. They
        moved to Sagstad, Meland 1862.

     i. Brita b. 1840, m. 1858 Torbjørn Larsson Otterstad br. 7, resided there.
Johannes Jakobson, b. 1832, had these children:

a. Maria b. 1856, m. 1878 Lars Larsson Mo, public servant, b. 1849 at br. 3. They had a son, Johannes Larsson, b. 1882, m. 1902 Brita Einarsdatter Rongved, daughter to bailiff Rongved. Johannes was baker.

b. Jakob b. 1858. In 1874 resided in Bergen. (settlement from Nils Jakobsen).

c. Ingeborg b. 1860. In 1874 resided in Stien in Hamre.

d. Knut b. 1863. In 1874 resided in Otterstad.

e. Inga b. 1865. In 1874 resided in Mo.
   1849: Transferred from Jakob Hansson. Farm was dispersed by widow Maria Nilsdatter for valuation 350 spd.

  1850: Transferred from widow Maria Nilsdatter. Farm went to son, Nils.

  9. Nils Jakobson Otterstad, b. 1823, d. 1874, unmarried.

  1851: Nils Jakobsen leased the farm to sister's husband, Askjell Johannesson Nottveit. He received a contract for sustenence from Askjell.

      10. Askjell Johannesson Otterstad, b. Nottveit bnr. 3, 1822, d. 1917, m.
        1. 1846 m. Maria Jakobsdtr. Otterstad, b. 1826, d. 1876.
        2. 1882 m. Maria Olavsdtr. Almelid, b. 1834, from Skarvaplasset.

Born:

     a. Johannes b. 1847, m. 1873 Kari Olavsdatter Høvik br. , resided Nottveit br. 3.

     b. Nils b. 1849, d. fire 1865.

     c. Jakob b. 1851, unmarried, resided Otterstad, later Nottveit.

     d. Nils b. 1855, emigrated to Amerika 1878.

     e. Johannes b. 1858, d. fire 1865.

     f. Maria b. 1861, m. 1889 Ivar Larsson Husdal b. 1863.

     g. Johannes bf. 1864.

     h. Anna b. 1871, g. 1891 m. farmer Karl Larsson Husdal, resided Håtuft, Meland
  1875: Transferred from No. 9, Nils Jakobson Otterstad. The farm will conveyed to nephew Jacob Hansson Elvik, son of No. 8 e, for 525 spd. and support of Askjell Johannesson and his two youngest children to the age of 16.

  11. Jakob Hansson Otterstad, f. Elvik 1853, d. 1954, g. 1882 m.  Anna Larsdatter Almelid, bnr. 1 b. 1857, d. 1938.
Born:

     a. Maria b. 1883, d. 1914, g. 1908 m. Alfred Johan Skulstad b. 1880, resided
        Bergen, d. 1949. 2 children.

     b. Anna b. 1885, d. 1901.

     c. Maria b. 1886, d. child.

     d. Hans b. 1887, d. 1968, unmarried, resided Otterstad.

     e. Brita b. 1890, d. 1963, m. 1916 widower Alfred Johan Skulstad, Bergen. 3
        children.

     f. Olav b. 1891, d. 1973, unmarried., resided Otterstad.

     g. Malena b. 1893, d. 1976, unmarried, resided Otterstad.

     h. Alida b. 1894, d. 1982, unmarried, resided Otterstad.

     i. Johannes b. 1896, d. 1945. To USA in 1915.

     j. Anfinn b. 1901, d. 1901.

     k. Alfred Johan b. 1902, next owner here.
  1924: Transferred from Jakob Hansson to youngest son, Alfred Johan Jakobson.

  12. Alfred Johan Jakobson Otterstad f. 1902, d. 1994, m. 1945 Astrid Jensdtr. Hauge, i Haus, b. 1911, d. 2002.
Born:

     a. Alfred Johan f. 19**, twin.

     b. Anna Maria f. 19**, m. 1972 Svein Eriksen, b. 19**, Moelv, residing
        Ringsaker. 2 children.
  Alfred Johan Jakobson Otterstad was a doctor, for a time in Tysse in Samnanger, and sister is a school doctor in Fana. She lives in Fana, and it is the 4 unmarried siblings [Hans, Olav, Malena, Alida] of his who operate the farm.

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